Spatially and temporally resolved gas distributions around heterogeneous catalysts using infrared planar laser-induced fluorescence.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 25953006.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms8076 and PMC identifier 4432634.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Visualizing and measuring the gas distribution in close proximity to a working catalyst is crucial for understanding how the catalytic activity depends on the structure of the catalyst. However, existing methods are not able to fully determine the gas distribution during a catalytic process. Here we report on how the distribution of a gas during a catalytic reaction can be imaged in situ with high spatial (400 μm) and temporal (15 μs) resolution using infrared planar laser-induced fluorescence. The technique is demonstrated by monitoring, in real-time, the distribution of carbon dioxide during catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide above powder catalysts. Furthermore, we demonstrate the versatility and potential of the technique in catalysis research by providing a proof-of-principle demonstration of how the activity of several catalysts can be measured simultaneously, either in the same reactor chamber, or in parallel, in different reactor tubes.